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Private water well applications on the rise

EUREKA- As the demand for water increases in California, here on the North Coast residents are turning to private wells.

According to the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services Division of Environmental Health, since June of last year there has been more than a 100 percent increase in water well applications.

Officials say these numbers are up because of an increase in the housing industry, as well as new construction and local agriculture.

Private water wells are not federally regulated and ensuring the safety of well water is the responsibility of the owner.

The Department of Health and Human Services says it does provide inspections and offers guidance to well owners in water sample collection and analysis.

“For whatever reason your well is drilled, we want to ensure that the ground water is protected first of all, and for those wells that are drilled for drinking water purposes, we want to make sure that the water that's coming up is safe for people to drink,” said Supervising Environmental Health Specialist Carolyn Hawkins.

To learn more about wells contact the Division of Environmental Health.